Favorite Blog: Go Backpacking

[singlepic=1656,300,,,right]We recently highlighted David Lee’s career break, which he documented in his blog Go Backpacking. But Go Backpacking is more than just a journal of his adventures – it is a site that encourages and inspires people to independently travel abroad. And with three years of blogging and over 1,000 posts, David has a lot of great content and resources to do just that.

In addition to the 20-month archive of David’s 22-country round-the-world trip, the site offers tips for budget planning, interviews with fellow travelers, book reviews, how-to articles, and news from the online travel community. He has even expanded his site to include several contributors, adding a variety of voices and experiences.

One of the most popular posts is ”Cost of a Trip Around the World”, which is usually the first concern on potential travelers minds. And by breaking down his daily expenses by country allows future backpackers to understand where their dollar can go farther.

Another popular post is “Final Thoughts – Annapurna Sanctuary Trek” in which David offers great tips based on his experiences to anyone planning a trek in Nepal. I did the Annapurna Circuit in 2001 and definitely agree with many of his points – although I’d like to add one. Boiled water in a nalgene bottle makes a wonderful bedtime companion. Helps to keep you warm and stays warm throughout the chilly nights!

[singlepic=1655,200,,,left]David also offers a free eBook, “Dare Me”, which details the various dares he was given during his original travels. These dares ranged in “strength” from having his photo taken with various single women and Thai “lady boys” to riding a scooter and on top of a train in India. The rewards were mostly monetary (which was greatly appreciated), and not all were completed for one reason or another. But reading about them and his efforts to complete them make for a good laugh. And it just goes to show how travel allows you to lower your inhibitions and makes you do things you never imagined!

With the success he has gained through travel blogging, David will be launching a new website on February 1 – “Travel Blog Success – Build a Better Travel Blog”. We had a sneak peak of the site and feel that it is a great investment if you want to do more with your travel blog then update friends and family. Look for more on Travel Blog Success soon!

And be sure to vote for Go Backpacking as Best Travel Blog and Medellin Living as Best Latin American Blog in the 2010 Bloggies! Voting ends January 31, 2010.

Other comments

Great to see inspirational messages for traveling the world. I hit the global path many years ago and hope others desire to find their own adventures despite all the bad news on TV. Go discover a corner of the planet and be amazed!

We’re doing a search on our blog right now for the best travel sites on the net. You should add yours– it offers more than just a narrative of your travels, which we really like and enjoy. Thanks for the heads up on goBackpacking as well!

Lauren – thanks for the compliment! We really believe in the power of story telling. And by sharing other peoples experiences, we are able to show fellow Americans that it is possible to break out of the social norm. From the name of your site (Abandon the Cube) you definitely understand that!

You have some great country guides on your site and I’m anxious to see your Croatia one debut. We’re thinking of visiting Croatia this June after a family vacation in Italy, so look forward to your recommendations!